1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a continuous rheocasting method and to an apparatus that implements the continuous rheocasting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Refining the size of metal crystal grains is one technique that is used to enhance the properties of cast metal materials. In the rheocasting method, a melt is cooled while at the same time being subjected to mechanical or ultrasonic agitation to uniformly diffuse fine solid-phase nuclei in the melt to produce a semi-solid. However, in the conventional technology the viscosity of the semi-solid was controlled by controlling the temperature of the metal. Thus, stirring the melt and at the same time adjusting the viscosity while controlling the temperature to draw off a metal semi-solid is a task of considerable difficulty.
An object of the present invention is to provide rheocasting method and apparatus that enable a metal semi-solid to be readily drawn off while the semi-solid is being simultaneously subjected to stirring and adjustment of the viscosity of the semi-solid.